Category: Conservation

The magazine publication Inc. 5000 periodically releases a list of businesses they consider to be among the top in the country. In their recent edition they published a list of companies, which included the bottled water brand of Waiakea. Not only did the Waiakea brand make the magazine’s list of successful businesses, it placed at number 414. This placed the bottled water in line with such seasoned companies as Microsoft, Zappos and Timberland. This placement was a highly prized achievement by Waiakea’s founder, Ryan Emmons.

The success of Waiakea water can be attributed to its founder’s unique strategy to market it as both an eco-friendly and socially-conscious brand. Since the water is sourced on the big island of Hawaii, it was easy to promote it as coming from a sustainable resource. The water comes from the snow and rain that falls on the peaks of the Mauna Loa volcano. Since it is constantly being renewed, the source of the water is never depleted and never impacts the surrounding sustainability of the natural environment.

In addition to promoting the water as eco-friendly, CEO Ryan Emmons also chose to include the water’s beneficial health properties. This water is naturally enriched with several essential minerals, including potassium, silica and magnesium. This enhancement occurs as the water passes through underground layers of volcanic rock on its way to a natural aquifer. The rock formations not only help make the water a healthier beverage to drink, they also give it a pH level between 7.8 and 8.8, which makes it better suited for penetrating the cells of the body for a more thorough process of hydration.

The social-conscious aspect of the brand comes from the company’s choice to use recycled plastic in the creation of the bottles used to contain it. This company has also taken steps to reduce the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere by putting a more efficient manufacturing process into place. The team behind the Waiakea brand of bottled water have also partnered with Pump Aid to help bring clean water to underdeveloped communities such as those found in South Africa.

Wild Ark is a company that is working hard at making sure the environment is as diverse as possible. Biodiversity is more than just a buzz word when it comes to the environment. There is a very real need to make sure as many animals as possible are thriving. There need to be as many environments thriving as well. Only if we can rebuilt what has been damaged, in a variety of ways, will the world really be able to have a shot at bouncing back.

That is why the CEO of Wild Ark has made biodiversity such a central focus of his mission. Mark Hutchinson isn’t someone who just enjoys the great outdoors and what the great outdoors can offer. He understands what makes the great outdoors so great because he’s spent a good portion of his adult life getting to know it.

Hutchinson has spent a year in Australia working as a Jackaroo. For those not familiar with Australian lingo, that basically means he worked as a ranch hand, though that particular position has a bit more of the great outdoors than ranch hands have in this country. Learn more: http://wildark.com/blog/mark-hutchinson-for-the-wild/

Hutchinson spent a great majority of his adult life camping and fishing and living outdoors, looking up at the sky. At the tend age of 22 he set up his own outdoor travel company that allowed him to show off his talents and his knowledge to people who wanted to be able to get to areas of the world they had never been before. After a brief stint in the corporate world, the still young businessman decided it was time to find a way to reconnect with nature and Wild Ark was born. Learn more: http://wildark.com/blog/mark-hutchinson-for-the-wild/

Wild Ark’s vision is to protect the worlds wildest places. Founded by Mark and Sophie Hutchinson, they developed a group to help conserve the places on earth that we are in fear of losing. They work hard to educate the world about the natural places that inhabit this earth so we can save it for future generations to enjoy as well. They work together to secure green locations around the globe and promote its natural habitat. While educating people they create opportunities for people to come close with the animals and life that inhabit these green places. Through education they can promote the desire to maintain it and keep it safe.Learn more : http://wildark.com/news/

Wild Ark has created some really great experiences for those of us who want to participate with wildlife (http://wildark.com/study-the-wild/). Right now there is a 28 day experience in Botswana or South Africa. It’s a perfect experience for those who enjoy hiking and observing nature. The majority of the 28 days you will be walking the bush observing the big game in the area with a trusted and responsible guide. It is a truly authentic experience in that you will see and do things that are completely unexpected and exciting. Eco Training, a trail guiding organization, will be guiding the tour and showing you all there is to see in Botswana. During your stay in Botswana, Wild Ark provides two-person tents, four meals a day, and bedding to sleep on.Learn more : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUo4EHg7ZWNPFEg3tjytCSg

This is the ultimate way to experience the wilderness of Africa without leaving a trace. If you are in dire need of some disconnection from the modern world, what better place to do it than in South Africa? Many people leave from the experience having learned something new, had encounters they will never forget, and leave feeling more connected to the earth than ever before.